Growing tyranny

I read with dismay Dennis Wharton's June 27 letter. He seems to miss the fact that the Supreme Court exists to oversee the other branches of government and to make certain that the executive branch does not become tyrannical. He assumes that all those held in Guantanamo are guilty of terrorism. In fact, some have been released after it was deemed they were not "enemy combatants." How many others are being wrongly detained? We can't know if they are not afforded the rights of our own citizens.
What this administration and Justice Department have done is akin to Stalin's purges. We are at risk of becoming what we despise, a country that tramples on its citizens' rights to satisfy their fears. We are better than that, and we deserve better than that from our leaders. And I wonder how Wharton would feel if a member of his family were imprisoned for seven years without legal counsel and much hope of defending himself. Let's not let emotions cloud our judgment and end fairness under the law.